Qiangu Mingyue

[Purple qi swept in from the east for three thousand miles, while dragons roared through the nine heavens to celebrate a new life! At age 0, amid strange signs from heaven and earth, you were born into the world—and you were a boy.]

[Perhaps because your father had been captivated by your eyes at first sight, under your mother's tender gaze he named you Ming Yue: Qiangu Mingyue.]

[At age 1, unlike ordinary infants, you had been born with knowledge and could already express all sorts of thoughts fluently through gestures and expressions.]

[Your father, Qiangu Dieting, was astonished, as were your elder brothers, Qiangu Dongfeng and Qiangu Qingfeng.]

[At age 2, as your body developed, you could already speak fluently.]

[Compared with toddlers who were still babbling, Qiangu Dieting could only feel that you kept bringing him one surprise after another.]

[At age 3, unlike lively, restless children, you seemed a little too quiet. Your favorite pastime was gazing (zoning out) at the sky.]

[This inevitably worried your mother and elder brothers. After all, a child's temperament could reflect a part of the future that awaited them as they grew.]

[At age 4, while your father watched with a complicated expression as the tutor he'd hired to teach you the basics left, you told him that you could no longer learn anything else from the man.]

[Your father asked whether you wanted him to hire a more advanced tutor. You simply shook your head and said that all you needed was permission to enter the family Library.]

[At age 5, aside from your three meals a day, your greatest pleasure was spending time in the Qiangu Family's library, browsing the wealth of knowledge collected by the Spirit Pagoda and the Qiangu Family.]

[From Soul Masters and Soul Beasts to history and Soul Guidance Technology, all this knowledge filled you with longing.]

[At age 6, perhaps because you rarely exercised and often spent time in the Library, your already fair skin had grown even paler. With your exquisitely delicate features, you looked like a fragile porcelain doll, inspiring tender affection.]

After the subtitles had passed like a montage, Ming Yue's vision swam. He instinctively rubbed his head.

He quickly went over the six years of memories he'd fast-forwarded through with the Simulator, then looked around.

Splendid and luxurious, the room was filled with a faint fragrance of incense and ink.

"The Library?" Though he had visited countless times in his memories, Ming Yue couldn't help marveling at the sight before him.

"Judging by its wealth of knowledge alone, the Qiangu Family really is one of the world's top families on this timeline."

"Still, this timeline seems to be set a little early."

His gaze rested on the books before him, and his thoughts began to drift.

But soon, a door opened, and footsteps followed. Ming Yue's wandering thoughts snapped back into place, and he frowned.

"Sure enough, you're holed up in here again, Ming Yue! Don't take this the wrong way, but kids your age should get out and move around more."

"When I was your age, I was already unbeatable among my peers!"

The words were youthful yet boisterous. With that last boast, Qiangu Dongfeng came up to Ming Yue.

"...You're only three years older than me."

Though Ming Yue's memories had already gotten him used to Qiangu Dongfeng's personality at this age, experiencing it in person left him speechless. He shot his brother a look.

He closed the book on the desk and raised a hand to rub his brow.

"Tsk, what's with that look? Isn't it only natural for an older brother to teach his younger brother?" As he spoke, he raised a hand and reached for Ming Yue's head.

But under Ming Yue's calm gaze, Qiangu Dongfeng chuckled sheepishly, changed course, and scratched his own head.

"Forget it. Ming Yue, do you remember what day it is?"

His deliberately mysterious tone and insufferably cocky raised eyebrow made Ming Yue's mouth twitch, but he still played along.

"What day is it, dear elder brother?"

"Hey!" That rare "dear elder brother" clearly pleased Qiangu Dongfeng. He lifted his chin, basking in the moment.

"It's the day you awaken your Martial Soul!" His tone shifted, and his expression turned serious.

"It's not just you. The other major families within the Spirit Pagoda have juniors participating too."

"But you're my little brother, Qiangu Dongfeng's little brother, and you have our family's Martial Soul, the Coiling Dragon Staff, backing you! Your big brother knows you'll be able to stand head and shoulders above your peers!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help patting Ming Yue on the shoulder.

"Martial Soul Awakening Day..." Ming Yue murmured, tuning out the rest of Qiangu Dongfeng's words as he rose to his feet.

He had yearned for the wondrous existence of Martial Souls and Soul Power ever since reading about them in books.

But with his mother keeping such a close eye on him, he hadn't dared seek them out on his own.

Now that he had the chance to experience them firsthand, he naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

"Hey, hey! Don't walk so fast! Do you even know where the awakening's taking place? Ming Yue! Ming Yue! Wait for me, Qiangu Mingyue!"

Though he was used to his little brother's sour disposition, seeing him lower his eyes, ponder for a moment, then walk straight out without a word caught him off guard.

That delicate frame had somehow burst into such speed. It was easy to imagine how Ming Yue felt right now.

He's just like I was when it was my turn to awaken my Martial Soul!

At the thought, Qiangu Dongfeng let out a soft laugh. But he quickly shook off the stray thought, then hurried after him, hollering all the while.

They made their way along as Qiangu Dongfeng kept up his clownish chatter, until they arrived at a special elevator.

With Qiangu Dongfeng swiping his card and leading the way, they passed through several more security gates before finally reaching the Martial Soul Awakening site.

Sure enough, it was already crowded with children and adults dressed in fine clothes.

Once the two brothers had arrived, Qiangu Dieting rose from the head seat and spoke.

"I happen to have some free time today, so why don't I personally conduct this Martial Soul Awakening ceremony for the future pillars of our Spirit Pagoda?"

He gave a kindly smile, surprising the adults present.

But soon, when the children cried out and their gazes shifted to the Qiangu brothers, the adults understood.

At Qiangu Dieting's direction, the children lined up.

The Martial Soul Awakening ceremony, hosted by Qiangu Dieting, officially began.

Meanwhile, Qiangu Dongfeng looked around, as if he had finally spotted the target he'd been searching for.

He sneakily glanced at his father, who was guiding the Martial Soul Awakening, then tugged on Ming Yue's hem and led him toward a pair of red-haired sisters standing proudly to one side.