Qian Clan Adopted Son, Training Ahead of Time, Support-Type Martial Soul

Spirit City, central sacred mountain, residence of the Grand Worshipper.

At the dining table, Qian Ni shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, tossed aside his bowl and chopsticks, and spoke to the middle-aged old man across from him.

"Dad, I'm full."

He spoke so quickly that the pause after "Dad" was almost impossible to hear.

After saying that, he stared straight at the man, waiting for a response.

Qian Ni was a transmigrator. He had been adopted by Qian Daoliu—the middle-aged old man sitting across from him—from a young age and had grown up in Spirit City.

Though Qian Daoliu was already over a hundred years old, his great strength had preserved his appearance.

Despite his age, his skin was still smooth and fair, making him look like a middle-aged uncle—a geezer with the appearance of a middle-aged man.

Qian Daoliu sighed softly, an involuntary look of helplessness appearing on his face.

He was used to it by now. He even automatically supplied that missing pause in his mind.

Qian Daoliu's movements were exceptionally refined and unhurried. He gently picked up his food with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth, making barely a sound.

Only after swallowing did he nod.

"You may leave the table. Though you are not my biological son, I have always treated you as one. There is no need for such formalities between father and son.

"It is good to be a little lively."

Qian Daoliu suddenly thought of his long-dead son. Qian Xunji had been polite like this too, but unfortunately, he later did something beastly.

If he were still alive, he would probably be five or six years old by now.

About the same age as the child before him.

Qian Daoliu's gentle gaze lingered briefly on Qian Ni: silver-white hair, tender fair skin, and blue eyes as clear as spring water.

Judging by looks alone, Qian Ni undoubtedly lived up to his status as an adopted son of the Qian Clan.

The Qian Clan had inherited the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. Every generation possessed innately full soul power, and their looks were always exceptional.

That alone showed just how striking Qian Ni's appearance was.

This pleased Qian Daoliu greatly.

Yet for some reason, Qian Ni's handsome face always gave Qian Daoliu the feeling that its owner might not be a good person.

The same kind of beauty as Griffith—absolutely stunning, but unavoidably carrying a hint of something rotten from the start.

An illusion. It must be an illusion! How could there be anything wrong with my upbringing...

Qian Daoliu dismissed the stray thoughts in his heart, softened his tone, and said with a smile, "Oh, right. Tomorrow is your martial soul awakening day, so do not stay up too late tonight."

Children of the Douluo Continent underwent martial soul awakening upon reaching the age of six.

Normally, children would be nervous before such a life-defining moment.

But Qian Ni was different. He was a transmigrator, and he had prepared for this long ago.

"It's fine. It's no big deal.

"I won't be coming home tonight. Just letting you know."

Qian Ni waved a hand and left without looking back.

Qian Daoliu froze for a moment before asking, "What are you going to do?"

"Train." Only two words drifted back from the distance.

Qian Daoliu was somewhat confused.

"Huh?"

Spirit City, Awakening Square.

A solemn statue of the Six-Winged Angel stood in the center of the square. Even though its facial features had been deliberately blurred, one could still see a compassionate expression.

By now, night had fallen. After the site for tomorrow's martial soul awakening ceremony had been arranged, the crowd gradually dispersed.

No one noticed a figure floating high in the sky.

Qian Daoliu stood in midair, looking at Qian Ni, who sat cross-legged beside the Six-Winged Angel statue. His heart ached a little.

"This boy, and he said he wasn't nervous.

"To gain one more moment of cultivation, are you planning to meditate here all night until tomorrow's martial soul awakening?

"Whether meditating before awakening can raise one's innate soul power is still unknown."

Qian Daoliu truly cared for this adopted son. Since Qian Ni wanted to train in advance, he quietly sent a thread of angel soul power into his body to help him gather energy, providing a starting point for meditation.

"You are the child I raised. So what if you have zero soul power?

"Even setting her aside, it is my responsibility to ensure that you never lack food or clothing for the rest of your life.

"This is my... repayment to you."

Qian Daoliu did not reveal himself. He merely remained silently in the sky, accompanying Qian Ni as they awaited the coming day.

If one day you transmigrated into Douluo Continent, what martial soul would you hope to awaken?

Generally speaking, that depended on one's parents.

But when Qian Ni opened his eyes, he was already an orphan. He had been adopted by Qian Daoliu as a child and raised in Spirit City.

He had no idea what martial soul he might possess.

Whenever he asked Qian Daoliu about his parents, that appearance-preserving old geezer would always rub Qian Ni's head with guilt in his eyes, wear an inscrutable expression, hand him a bag of gold soul coins, and tell him to go play in the city.

So Qian Ni understood.

There was a story here. Once he grew stronger, he could properly interrogate old geezer Qian Daoliu and make him explain himself.

But for now, the most important thing was preparing for his martial soul awakening.

Dawn had only just begun to break, and the square was completely empty.

He sat cross-legged beneath the shadow of the Six-Winged Angel statue, meditating with his eyes closed.

As a transmigrator, he understood all too well the principle that the early bird caught the worm.

His martial soul had yet to awaken, but he could begin meditating to cultivate soul power first! Then, when he awakened it, he could have a few more levels of "innate soul power."

Whether that soul power was truly innate or not could be set aside for now. As long as the awakening stone measured it, it counted as innate soul power.

With that thought in mind, ever since he had learned to read and write, Qian Ni had dug out a meditation method from home and begun training.

He accumulated soul power while strengthening his body, never stopping for a single day.

This strange behavior had once made Qian Daoliu suspect that Qian Ni had mental problems, and he had taken him to see doctors.

But Qian Ni said nothing and simply kept training.

He did not know whether he was a genius, but if he could add a measure of certainty to the blind box that was martial soul awakening, why not?

At the very least, innate soul power level could be changed through hard work.

Four or five years of preparation had all been for today.

To save time, he had even come to Awakening Square the night before, found a secluded corner beneath the angel statue, and continued meditating.

He planned to meditate straight through until the moment of martial soul awakening.

After years of effort, he had already replaced sleep with meditation. This was no challenge for him at all.

What if cultivating one minute less affected his innate soul power?

What did Qian Daoliu think of this behavior?

He believed that, because Qian Ni was his adopted son, the boy feared awakening a useless martial soul and low-grade innate soul power, which would cause the Grand Worshipper of Spirit Hall to lose face.

That was why he had willingly abandoned his childhood, never pausing for a day amid the tedious routine of meditation and physical training.

He had even come to Awakening Square a night early just to save time, all so he could meditate until the very last moment.

This moved Qian Daoliu deeply, stirring emotions in him for the first time in a long while.

He was a level ninety-nine guardian of the gods. What storms had he not weathered?

Even when he had first adopted Qian Ni, it had only been out of guilt and responsibility.

After all, Qian Ni becoming an orphan was closely connected to him.

Time passed bit by bit.

The martial soul awakening ceremony had long since begun.

In front of the Six-Winged Angel statue, the square was already filled with people.

Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong, stood on the high platform with several elders.

They watched the children and parents in the square.

At this time every year, the Pope would appear in person. If any child showed exceptional talent, they would be accepted directly into Spirit Hall.

It was also a means of winning people's hearts.

One small figure after another stepped out of the six-pointed star formation.

Soon, the final child in the line completed their martial soul awakening.

"Blue Silver Grass, soul power level zero."

Amid the disappointed gazes of the child and their parents, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan announced the result.

A martial soul like Blue Silver Grass was more common than stray dogs by the roadside.

Even in a soul master holy land like Spirit City, a few appeared every year. It was perfectly normal.

Though the awakening line had emptied, Yue Guan did not announce the end of the ceremony.

Yue Guan flipped the register in his hand to its first page. Seeing the first name written there, he frowned slightly.

Qian Ni.

He was Qian Daoliu's adopted son and was also supposed to awaken his martial soul this year.

But before the ceremony began, the Second Worshipper, Golden Crocodile, had suddenly come to him and told him to place Qian Ni last.

He had complied, but now...

Everyone else had finished awakening, yet Qian Ni had not arrived. No one knew what had happened.

Yue Guan's silence lasted a little too long, drawing Bibi Dong's attention from the high platform.

Sensing the gaze behind him, Yue Guan quickly set aside his thoughts and called out to the front.

"Qian Ni!"

"Here."

Unexpectedly, the response came from beneath the shadow of the angel statue.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a delicate-looking silver-haired child walked up to Yue Guan and stood inside the six-pointed star formation.

Yue Guan was somewhat displeased.

He had thought Qian Ni might be late, but he had not expected the boy to have been waiting at the venue all along.

Then what was the point of changing the order?

Keeping his expression calm, Yue Guan nodded, poured in soul power, and began the awakening.

Dense azure light spread outward as azure wings unfolded from Qian Ni's back.

They were long and exquisite, their feathers traced with golden patterns, but... there was only a left wing.

Yue Guan and Bibi Dong, standing on the high platform, both narrowed their eyes.

"This is...

"A top-tier support-type martial soul—the Twin-Winged Bird!"