The Beginning Grants the [Harmony] Path

(New author's first book, so there are bound to be some rough spots. If there's anything in this book that needs changing, please don't hesitate to let me know, darlings. ❛˓◞˂̵✧)

Holy Soul Village.

Ye Yun was lying on the back mountain, sunning himself, while beside him, a child in ragged clothes was digging up wild vegetables.

"Little San, you're about to awaken your martial soul. Are you nervous?"

Tang San's hand paused in the middle of digging wild vegetables.

"Brother Yun, I'm all right. Aren't you always teaching me to stay optimistic?"

"Sigh... Little San, you don't understand."

Ye Yun sighed and looked at the clouds drifting across the sky.

In his previous life, it had happened because he was playing a game while watching the Douluo anime during a thunderstorm.

Somehow, a bolt of lightning had struck straight into his house.

When he opened his eyes again, he was here, and his body had even regressed to infancy. After that, he had been taken in by an old man.

But the old man who adopted him had also passed away two years ago, leaving him alone to guard a dilapidated hut.

He had been here for six years already, yet his system still hadn't awakened.

According to the usual formula, if it hadn't awakened in six years, then it would awaken when his martial soul did.

He just hoped it would be some insanely cool, domineering, overpowered system. Otherwise, how was he supposed to survive in this world?

Just then, a snot-nosed child ran over and shouted from a distance.

"Hey, Tang San, Brother Yun! The village chief told me to call you to awaken your martial souls."

After saying that, he hurriedly ran back.

"Brother Yun, let's go too."

"Sure."

Tang San walked ahead with his basket on his back, and Ye Yun sprang to his feet with a kip-up, then followed after him.

Holy Soul Village, inside the house for awakening martial souls.

Su Yuntao looked around, confirmed everyone was present, and his expression turned slightly solemn.

"Since everyone is here, our martial soul awakening ceremony officially begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a low shout, and his aura instantly erupted!

"Lone Wolf—Possession!"

Buzz!

His originally neat black hair rapidly turned gray-white at a speed visible to the naked eye, blue veins bulged across his skin, his figure abruptly grew taller, and the muscles all over his body swelled into knotted masses.

"Waaah—!!"

The children's legs went weak. They trembled in terror, and some even collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.

Only the two figures at the very back of the line stood out from the rest.

Ye Yun's hands hung casually at his sides, his expression calm. There wasn't the slightest bit of fear in his eyes, only intense curiosity.

Tang San beside him was likewise completely unafraid.

Seeing this, Su Yuntao at the front had his green wolf pupils suddenly light up, and a trace of approval immediately rose in his heart.

"Not bad! These two little fellows have excellent temperaments, and their courage far surpasses ordinary people's!"

Su Yuntao nodded to himself, quietly feeling a sense of expectation rise in his heart.

It seemed Holy Soul Village might not necessarily fail to produce two promising seedlings.

"Don't be afraid. This is my martial soul, Lone Wolf. Come, awaken one by one in order."

The child at the very front forced down his fear and walked into the circle formed by the six stones.

"Martial soul, sickle. It can be considered to have a certain amount of attack power. Come, place your hand on this to test your soul power."

"Sigh... What a pity. Zero soul power. Next."

"Martial soul, hoe. No soul power. Next."

"Blue Silver Grass? No soul power. Next."

After a long time, it was finally Ye Yun's turn.

"Relax. Carefully feel the changes in your body."

Su Yuntao comforted him, then injected soul power into the awakening stones.

"Buzz—"

A faint white glow slowly rose from Ye Yun's palm. The light gathered, took shape, and finally hovered steadily above his hand.

It was a uniquely shaped black top hat with elegant lines, its texture ethereal as it hovered quietly above his hand.

Ye Yun's pupils abruptly contracted, and a storm of shock surged through his heart.

This hat...

He knew it all too well!

Wasn't this the exclusive weapon of the Harmony Trailblazer in Honkai: Star Rail?!

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the martial soul he awakened after transmigrating to the Douluo world would actually be the Harmony Hat.

"Ding. Host awakening detected. Path power has been activated.

Host: Ye Yun.

Path under command: [Harmony]

Soul power level: 10

Path energy: 0/100

The host may increase his strength by expanding the Path road expansion pack.

Martial soul: Harmony Hat

Basic ability: Can increase allies' Break Effect and cause enemies to enter a Toughness-Broken state. Enemies in this state take double damage from all kinds of attacks and cannot use any shields or buffs."

Hearing the voice he had long awaited finally ring out, Ye Yun's breathing grew rapid.

No. He couldn't get too excited yet. He would study it slowly after he got back.

Su Yuntao stared at this martial soul he had never seen before, his brows furrowing slightly as confusion appeared on his face.

"A pity. A hat. It looks nice, but it has no attack power. A useless martial soul.

Come, place your hand on this and test whether you have soul power."

The instant his palm touched the crystal!

"Buzz—!"

An extremely dazzling azure light instantly illuminated the entire martial soul awakening hut, far richer than the soul power glow of all the children before him!

Beside him, Su Yuntao's eyes suddenly widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He stared blankly at the overflowing blue light, stunned for several full seconds.

Innate full soul power!

It was actually the extremely rare innate full soul power!

But when his gaze fell back onto the ordinary-looking yet gorgeous top-hat martial soul in Ye Yun's palm, his wild joy instantly vanished, replaced by deep regret.

He shook his head again and again, then sighed.

"Innate full soul power... sigh! What a pity! He has peerless talent, yet he's paired with a useless martial soul! If it had been replaced with even an ordinary martial soul like a sickle, a hoe, or a broken pot, he could have become a powerhouse in the future!"

"What a pity, what a pity!"

When Ye Yun heard this, he merely shrugged indifferently, a faint smile flashing through his eyes.

How could a mere Su Yuntao possibly know that what this top hat represented was the authority of an Aeon that stood above the entire Douluo plane?

A useless martial soul?

What a joke. Did he know what mechanics were?

He did not explain further. He turned around and calmly walked back to the end of the line.

Tang San patted his shoulder and comforted him.

"Brother Yun, don't be too upset. Haven't you always taught me to stay calm no matter what happens? I'm going up first."

It was Tang San's turn to step forward.

Su Yuntao's mood had yet to settle down at this moment.

Listlessly, he activated his soul power and completed the final awakening process as a matter of routine.

White light enveloped him, and soul power flowed.

A moment later, a slender blade of grass quietly appeared in Tang San's palm.

"Blue Silver Grass? A useless martial soul. Test the soul power... Hiss... Another innate full soul power?!"

In just a few short minutes, two innate full soul powers had appeared one after another!

What kind of divine luck was this?!

Innate full soul power was something the entire Notting City might not encounter once in several years.

Yet today, he had run into two in one go!

But unfortunately...

One was an unknown, bizarre top hat, and the other was the publicly acknowledged trash, Blue Silver Grass!

They were all useless martial souls!!

Su Yuntao's composure completely shattered. The corners of his mouth twitched wildly, and his heart was filled with the absurd feeling that the heavens were toying with him.

After returning to the group, Tang San looked rather weighed down.

Seeing his worried expression, Ye Yun raised an eyebrow slightly, then lifted his arm and nudged Tang San's with his elbow, saying casually, "Little San, why the long face? If something's up, tell your big brother."

Tang San opened his mouth, originally intending to honestly voice the unease and secrets in his heart.

But his gaze swept over the surrounding children, and when the words reached his lips, he forcefully swallowed them back down.

He lowered his voice and said cautiously, "Brother Yun, there are too many eyes and ears here. Let's talk when we get back."

Ye Yun laughed inwardly.

It seemed that all this time, through subtle influence and proper guidance, he had, to a certain extent, changed Tang San's solitary, suspicious personality from the original story, where he guarded against everyone, and made Tang San regard him as one of his own.

As for exactly how far that had gone, he would have to see whether Tang San was still willing to tell him after Wang Dachui spoke to him.

After they followed the group out the door, Old Jack hurriedly came up to greet them.

"Respected soul master, are there any children in our village this year who can become soul masters?"

Su Yuntao shook his head and sighed.

"There are. Just these two little fellows. Both have innate full soul power, and both have useless martial souls. Sigh... what a pity."

But Old Jack grinned so widely he could not close his mouth. In his understanding, a useless martial soul was not a big deal; as long as one had soul power and could become a soul master, that was already excellent.

Seeing Old Jack smile like that, Su Yuntao secretly looked down on him, but he did not say it aloud. He turned and left.

Once all the children's martial soul awakenings had ended, everyone went back to their own homes.

Old Jack looked at Ye Yun and Tang San walking side by side, then stopped.

"Little San, Little Yun, Grandpa wants to ask you something. Do the two of you want to go study at Nuoding City's junior soul master academy?"

He paused, then continued, "Our village originally only has one work-study student quota."

"But you two both have innate full soul power. You're geniuses our Holy Soul Village might not see in a hundred years!"

"If both of you want to go, I'll go borrow another quota from the neighboring village. No matter what, I'll send you to the academy to cultivate!"

As soon as the words fell, Ye Yun answered first with a smile, without the slightest hesitation. "Sure, Grandpa Jack. I want to go."

Tang San, beside him, frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face. He said softly, "I... I need to go back and ask my dad."

Since he was young, he had told his father about everything. Even though he was very interested in the soul master academy, he did not dare decide on his own.

Hearing this, Old Jack's anger immediately flared. He blew his beard and gave a cold snort, his tone full of disappointment at Tang San's failure to live up to expectations.

"Why ask that drunkard! Other than getting dead drunk every day, what does he know!"

"This is the great matter of your whole life, a chance to become a soul master and change your fate! If he dares stop you, I'll drive him straight out of Holy Soul Village!"

Old Jack was straightforward by nature and wholeheartedly considered Tang San's future. When he spoke, he was filled with righteous indignation and did not leave the slightest room for courtesy.

When Tang San heard this, his face immediately filled with embarrassment. He stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do.

On one side was the father who had raised him and silently protected him. Even if he drank too much and was lazy, and could hardly be called a competent father, he had still always given Tang San his only support and place to belong. Tang San respected him in his heart and could not utter even half a word of blame.

On the other side was Old Jack, who sincerely thought of his interests and did everything he could to help him. The old man's painstaking care was all for Tang San's sake, so Tang San was even less able to speak up and refute him.

Caught in the middle, he could only silently clench his hands, trapped in a dilemma.

Ye Yun took in the whole scene and understood clearly.

As it happened, he also wanted to find a chance to be alone and properly study the system abilities unlocked after his martial soul awakened.

So he spoke up at just the right time, smiling as he smoothed things over. "Grandpa Jack, Little San is just being filial. I'll head back and wander around the village for a bit. You two take your time talking."

Without waiting for the two of them to respond, Ye Yun found an excuse and walked off alone, heading toward a quiet part of the village.

After returning to his own shabby little hut, Ye Yun sat cross-legged on the bed and silently activated the system in his mind.

(System, what exactly can you do?)

"Ding. This system is dedicated to helping the host control multiple Paths and become the most powerful existence in this world."

"Due to the nature of this world, Path abilities will adapt to this universe and have their numerical values suppressed, then gradually be released as the host's level increases."

"In addition, the host cannot absorb soul rings or soul bones produced by the deaths of soul beasts. All abilities will come from feedback from the Paths."

"To ensure the host's safety, the system has specially granted the host soul ring simulation, which can not only simulate soul ring levels, but also simulate aura."

"And [Beginner Pathstrider Experience Card] ×1, equivalent to a level 99 Limit Douluo of Douluo Continent."