Dragon City, in the northern Heaven Dou Empire.
In October, the first snow had already fallen on Dragon City, which lay close to the Far North, draping the entire city in a white veil overnight.
In a dilapidated courtyard dwelling in the southern corner of the city, a woman no older than thirty lay on a crude plank bed. Her face was deathly pale, without a trace of color. In such bitter weather, all she had to cover herself was a thin cotton quilt, which was even a little too short, forcing her to curl up beneath it.
If not for her occasional coughs, she would have looked dead.
The sound of chopping came from the courtyard, where a short, scrawny child who looked no more than five or six was splitting firewood in thin clothes.
The child was named Yu Tianyuan, and he was a transmigrator. Unlike his fellow transmigrators, who had arrived to find food and clothing ready at hand, he was now merely an illegitimate son who could never be acknowledged in polite society.
His mother, Chen Weier, was an ordinary woman without innate soul power. Her good looks had earned her a position as a maid in the Heavenly Dragon Sect, while his biological father was the sect's current master, a powerful Titled Douluo.
Perhaps dragons truly were lustful by nature. After drinking, that old dragon had forced himself on his mother, and Yu Tianyuan had been conceived as a result.
Yu Tianyuan raised the rusty axe in his hands and struck the wood again and again, as though it were his biological father.
Three months earlier, Yu Tianyuan had not hated him quite so much. His mother earned a few dozen Copper Soul Coins a day washing clothes for others. Money had been tight, but their lives had at least been peaceful.
But good times never lasted. His mother had suddenly fallen ill, and their already impoverished family had spent every last bit of its savings on treatment, even running up a debt for medicine.
Watching his mother grow thinner by the day, Yu Tianyuan had gone to the Heavenly Dragon Sect when he had nowhere else to turn, hoping to borrow some money for medicine. Yet he had been driven away before he could even cross its threshold.
Even with an adult's soul, Yu Tianyuan could change nothing as a six-year-old. Even awakening his martial soul was an enormous obstacle.
In the era of the Peerless Tang Sect, with Spirit Hall gone, martial soul awakening had become the exclusive domain of sects and nobles. Anyone who wanted to awaken their martial soul had to pay, and the price was steep: fifty Gold Soul Coins for a single awakening, enough to cover several months of everyday expenses for a family of three.
Gathering up the scattered wood, Yu Tianyuan headed inside. He opened the door only a crack and slipped through sideways, then immediately closed it behind him, afraid of letting the cold wind rush in.
With practiced ease, Yu Tianyuan used the embers in the brazier to light the wood. Once the fire caught, the room grew noticeably warmer.
The woman on the bed stirred and forced herself to sit up.
Yu Tianyuan hurried over to support her. "Mom, are you hungry? I'll go cook you some noodles right away."
The woman managed a smile and stroked Yu Tianyuan's hair with her skeletal hand. "I'm not hungry. Just a little thirsty. I'd like some hot water."
Yu Tianyuan immediately went out to draw water from the courtyard well, but the overnight cold had sealed its opening with a thick layer of ice. No matter how many stones he threw into the well, the ice refused to budge.
With no other choice, Yu Tianyuan took his bucket to the public well in the eastern part of the city. Walking there from home took more than ten minutes, and that was empty-handed...
Dragon City was an old city whose history stretched back thousands of years. Its name came from the two sects that governed it together, the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect. Over time, it had come to be called Dragon City.
As one of the Heaven Dou Empire's cities, Dragon City upheld the belief that soul masters stood above all others and strongly rejected soul tools, hindering their development. Its remote location only made matters worse, and its economy naturally could not compete with those of cities in the Star Luo Empire. Many old wooden buildings still stood within its walls...
Bucket in hand, Yu Tianyuan ran briskly along the stone-paved road. The cold wind mercilessly poured down his collar, making him shiver. He hunched his neck into his shoulders and silently quickened his pace.
Strangely, however, the usually quiet eastern district was especially lively that day. A crowd had gathered outside an old teahouse, forming a great circle three rows deep and then three more.
It was human nature to be drawn to a spectacle, but Yu Tianyuan wanted his mother to have her hot water sooner. After only a few glances, he headed straight for the well.
Yu Tianyuan tied the bucket to a rope and tossed it into the well. With his strength, he could draw no more than half a bucket at a time.
As Yu Tianyuan huffed and puffed, hauling up the water, an elderly woman approached with slow steps.
Recognizing her, Yu Tianyuan greeted her first. "Grandma Zhang, out for a walk so early?"
Grandma Zhang beckoned to him. "Good boy, I was just about to go looking for you."
Yu Tianyuan pulled the bucket up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking puzzled. "Grandma Zhang, is there something you need my help with?"
"Come with me, child, and you'll see." Without allowing any argument, Grandma Zhang took Yu Tianyuan by the hand and pulled him toward the nearby crowd.
Yu Tianyuan was reluctant. It was not that he disliked joining in the excitement, but his mother was still waiting for him at home. No matter what he said, however, Grandma Zhang would not let go.
The old woman and the young boy squeezed their way through the crowd until they reached the front.
An open space lay before the crowd, with a magic formation drawn on the ground. A table stood before it, and a crystal ball rested on the tabletop.
The sight shocked Yu Tianyuan. Is this... a martial soul awakening?
Before he could recover from his shock, a young woman of seventeen or eighteen emerged from the teahouse. She had long, jet-black hair, lovely features, and a gentle manner that gave her an air of tranquility.
Grandma Zhang pulled Yu Tianyuan a few steps farther forward and was about to kneel, but the young woman stopped her.
"Lord Soul Master, please help this child awaken his martial soul." With that, Grandma Zhang pushed Yu Tianyuan forward.
Yu Tianyuan stumbled and nearly fell, but the young woman reacted swiftly, catching him in an instant.
Coming back to his senses, Yu Tianyuan hurriedly thanked her.
The young woman nodded. "Come here, little brother. Let me help you awaken your martial soul."
Yu Tianyuan murmured his agreement, then stepped into the awakening formation and closed his eyes.
As soul power flowed into him, Yu Tianyuan felt a warm current spring up inside his body. It traveled through him, warming his limbs, which had grown stiff with cold.
Of course, Yu Tianyuan had fantasized about what his martial soul might be. But now, he only hoped to have a few levels of innate soul power. As long as he could become a soul master, life would improve for him and his mother.
Long-term malnutrition had left Yu Tianyuan half a head shorter than other children his age. None of the adults around him thought this frail child could awaken a powerful martial soul. Most likely, he would be an ordinary person just like them, without innate soul power and unable to cultivate.