The Young An Lan

Douluo Continent, Shangling City.

A ninety-nine-story octagonal tower pierced the clouds. It was the local branch of the Spirit Pagoda, one of the continent's four great powers.

"Muah... muah..."

"One for Second Master, and one for Grandmaster."

The corridors inside the tower were broad and quiet, and the white jade floor gleamed like a mirror. Beneath the light of the Soul Guidance Lamps, a young child with a sweet little face had mastered the art of balance. After kissing Second Master, he immediately rose onto his tiptoes and planted another kiss on Grandmaster's cheek.

Of the two who'd been kissed, one had a cascade of holy golden hair that fell lightly to her shoulders. She was Le Lingzhao, a Level 98 Super Douluo whose title was Judgment.

Her eyes curved as she reached out and tousled the little boy's hair. "Good boy, An Lan."

The other woman stood on her left. Her slender figure was set off by a pale purple dress, and her long hair fell like violet ink. Her eyes were a deep amethyst, as though they held countless stars.

She was Leng Qingning, the tower master of the Spirit Pagoda's Shangling City branch, a Level 99 demigod with the title Purple Phoenix.

She too reached out to stroke An Lan's hair and asked gently, "You're about to awaken your Martial Soul. Are you nervous?"

An Lan looked up at Leng Qingning. He shook his head, then gave a slight nod. "A little."

After all, the Martial Soul Awakening would determine the course of his life, so he was a bit nervous.

"Don't worry." Leng Qingning took his hand, her voice confident and affectionate. "With me and your Second Master here, even if your Martial Soul is only average, we can still raise you to Super Douluo."

"Super Douluo?"

An Lan froze for a moment, then advised her with the solemn air of a little adult, "Teacher, shouldn't we keep a low profile? Anyone who didn't know better might think you were His Excellency Heavenly Phoenix."

Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaorui, was the Spirit Pagoda's deputy tower master, the head of the Phoenix Family, and a Four-Word Battle Armor Master. She was one of the handful of people standing at the very pinnacle of the entire continent.

If she'd said those words, An Lan would have believed her without a doubt. But Leng Qingning was only a Super Douluo, so saying something like that seemed a little arrogant.

Of course, that was because he didn't know the true strength of Leng Qingning and Le Lingzhao.

An Lan knew that Leng Qingning's Martial Soul was the Amethyst Phoenix, a mutation of the Heavenly Phoenix. As the tower master and one of the Spirit Pagoda's Eighteen Heavenly Pillars, she had to be at least a Super Douluo.

Le Lingzhao was close enough to her to be friends, so she couldn't be weak either.

So he'd assumed from the start that he had two Super Douluos backing him, making him a top-tier second-generation scion who could measure up to Heavenly Phoenix Douluo and Angel Douluo.

But Super Douluos weren't exactly rare on the continent. They might not be everywhere, but there were plenty of them. It was better to keep a low profile.

"Pfft!"

Le Lingzhao laughed at An Lan's words, her golden eyes full of teasing.

If she remembered correctly, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo still hadn't broken through to Level 99. She was more famous across the continent for being a Four-Word Battle Armor Master.

Leng Qingning was different. Not only was she a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, she'd also broken through to the demigod realm. Her cultivation was two whole levels above His Excellency Heavenly Phoenix's.

As it happened, His Excellency Heavenly Phoenix was Leng Qingning's biological aunt. That connection made An Lan's earnest, "well-meaning advice" all the more endearing.

Drawn by Le Lingzhao's laughter, An Lan looked up at her. "Second Master, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no." Le Lingzhao quickly stopped laughing and put on a serious expression. "I just remembered that His Excellency Heavenly Phoenix is Qingning's aunt. One of these days, we'll have her take you to meet your family."

"Really?" An Lan blinked suspiciously. He had a feeling Le Lingzhao was pulling his leg.

He went over what he'd just said in his head, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. Unless... Grandmaster was even stronger than His Excellency Heavenly Phoenix.

But how could that be?

He was a transmigrator, a noble Blue Star native, and he knew for a fact that the Phoenix Family didn't have two Limit Douluos.

Besides, he'd been raised by his two teachers. Ever since he could remember, he'd never been apart from them.

Even when they occasionally had to go out, one of them always stayed behind to keep him company.

As far as he could remember, the longest they'd ever been apart was when Le Lingzhao went to Heaven Dou City on business for more than half a month.

Even then, she'd made sure to return before his Martial Soul Awakening. The moment they reunited, she'd wanted to cuddle him.

It would make sense for two such clingy teachers to be ordinary Super Douluos.

But Limit Douluos? That was impossible!

An Lan could rack his brain all he wanted, but he couldn't figure out whose Limit Douluo would have the time to watch over a child every single day.

Leng Qingning shook her head with a soft laugh. She hadn't expected An Lan to react that way at all.

Over the years, she and Le Lingzhao had indeed kept a low profile while raising him.

They couldn't help it. Their precious disciple was simply too adorable, and they really didn't want anyone disturbing them.

Taking An Lan's hand, she headed toward the Awakening Room and asked as they walked, "So, did you find the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?"

Le Lingzhao lifted her chin smugly. "When I'm on the job, it's as easy as reaching out to grab it."

"Good." Leng Qingning nodded.

"The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well..."

At the familiar name, An Lan paused, then suddenly understood.

No wonder Second Master had been gone for so long this time. She'd been looking for Immortal Herbs for him.

Any family with a little influence on the continent knew that the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was in the hands of the Tang Sect. But Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect were powerful, so even if other forces coveted it, they wouldn't dare to openly fall out with them and snatch it by force.

His two teachers had clearly wanted to give him an extra measure of protection. If his Martial Soul aptitude turned out to be mediocre, they'd go around the Tang Sect and "borrow" some Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for him.

But this wasn't something two Super Douluos could pull off.

On the surface, the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy stood shoulder to shoulder, with their headquarters in Shrek City. In reality, the Tang Sect's heart had always been in Heaven Dou City, and they'd practically hollowed out the entire city underground.

Besides, the plants and Ferocious Beasts at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well weren't helpless. The remnant souls of the Fire Dragon King and Ice Dragon King were more than enough to threaten a Limit Douluo.

An Lan looked up, about to try to talk his teachers out of it, but caught a flash of strange black light in Leng Qingning's amethyst eyes.

He swallowed and instinctively tightened his grip on Leng Qingning's hand. "Teacher, there seems to be black light coming from your eyes..."

"Where?" Leng Qingning looked down at him, her amethyst eyes curving into pretty crescents. "You must have seen wrong. My cultivation has improved recently, and the purple's gotten so deep that it only looks a little black."

"Really?" An Lan blinked and took a closer look. His teacher's eyes were indeed an incredibly deep purple, almost black. Maybe his eyes really had been playing tricks on him.

Before long, the three arrived at an Awakening Room.

With Leng Qingning's status, An Lan naturally didn't have to squeeze in with the children outside for his awakening.

The Awakening Room was exquisitely furnished. At its center stood an awakening platform made of precious metal, its surface carved with intricate awakening patterns.

And it was worth mentioning that everything in the room, from top to bottom, was in Leng Qingning's signature purple style. It was clear the Spirit Pagoda's staff really wanted to get ahead.

Curious, An Lan reached out and picked up an ornament on the table, a Soul Tool carved with an ornate Purple Phoenix design. His fingertips brushed its cool surface as he asked, "Teacher, what do you think my Martial Soul will be?"